Films: Horrors of Spider Island (1960)

Alias: Gary the Were-Spider

Type: Mutant

Location: Jungle

Height/Weight: As big as housecats.

Affiliation: Neutral

Summary: A deserted island is the perfect spot for unnatural upheaval. And the spirit of the 50s hadn't quite died yet, so nuclear power is a part of the fray now. The spiders are weird and the men are perverts, so enjoy the displeasure cruise.

History: On an isolated island, scientist Professor Green was enjoying a rich array of uranium mines, only to fall prey to the mutated spiders that inhabited the place. Inexplicably, the spiders looked like birds and their bites turned others into vicious were-spiders. Cue a group of Singapore-bound dancers and their manager Gary crashing there. Gary gets bitten by spider, horror clichés do the rest.

Notable Kills: Nothing special.

Final Fate: The spider gets shot to death by Gary after he gets bitten. After going were-spider, Garyapos;s rampage is put to an end when heapos;s chased into a quicksand field by guys carrying torches. He sinks into the murky sand below.

Powers/Abilities: The venom of the spider can turn a man into a being of sheer ugliness and strength.

Weakness: Gary the were-spider cannot stand fire. Whether he was a pyrophobe pre-spider is anyone's guess.

Scariness Factor: 3-The spiders are bizarre yet stiff props, while spider-Gary is pretty grotesque with his disfigured face, fangs, and clawed hands. He doesn't really look or act like a spider, though. Disappointing.

Trivia: -Despite being made in 1960, this German film didn't make it to the U.S. until 1962.

-In the U.S., this film had a laundry list of alternate titles, including "It's Hot in Paradise", "Hot in Paradise", "Girls of Spider Island" and "Spider's Web".